Intracranial silicone oil migration with encephalopathy: a rare case report

Abstract

Background: Intraocular silicone oil (SiO) tamponade is a popular modality of treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. It can, however, rarely lead to an incompletely understood phenomenon known as intracranial migration of SiO. Though usually benign, this entity is often misinterpreted as a tumour or haemorrhage. Case presentation: We present a case report of a patient with acute progressive encephalopathy and intracranial migration of intravitreal silicone. We also put forward the possibility of toxic effects of intracranial SiO on the central nervous system. Conclusion: Clinicians and radiologists should be aware of the rare complication of intravitreal SiO tamponade. Eliciting the history of intraocular SiO tamponade and identifying the key imaging features on ultrasonography of the orbit, CT of the head, and MRI of the brain will help in avoiding unnecessary interventions or delays in the management of the patients from misdiagnosing it as haemorrhage or tumour.